Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US, also rake, rake-in) a commission, esp. on some form of illegal deal.

1859		Wkly Varieties (Boston, MA) 3 Sept. 5/2: The confederates of the swindler [...] all of whom afterwards come in for a ‘rake’ of the spoils.
1872		N.Y. Times 13 May 2/3–4: These men [honest detectives] are never ‘let in’ [by the corrupt detectives] when there is a prospect of a good ‘rake.’ They are, however, assigned to ‘work up’ the most trivial cases.
1888		Peterson’s mag. XCII 115/2: If he complains of a ‘grafting’ purchasing agent or manager his complaint must go to a board of directors or a president, [...] r possibly themselves getting a ‘rake-off’ from the graft.
1890		J.P. Quinn Fools of Fortune 188: This percentage is technically known as the ‘rake-off,’ and insures the proprietors of the establishment a handsome royalty on all winnings.
1907		G.M. White From Boniface to Bank Burglar 306: The covetous coppers [...] didn’t get their ‘rake-off’.
1908		‘Old Sleuth’ Dock Rats of N.Y. (2006) 114: ‘Must I wait for my money until you get your rake?’ ‘No.’ ‘You will pay me right down?’ ‘I will pay you the money two minutes after you point the man out to me.’ [Ibid.] 115: But if I let on to you I want to make sure of my rake in.
1914		M. Glass Potash and Perlmutter 286: For every pane of glass what went into your house, Mawruss, Ferdy Rothschild gets his rake-off.
1924		D. Hammett ‘Zigzags of Treachery’ in Nightmare Town (2001) 121: I kept in touch with the young doctor, of course, getting my regular rake-off.
1938		G. Kersh Night and the City 9: He lived almost entirely on percentages, commissions, corners, rake-offs, fivers from buyers, fivers from sellers.
1941		V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 102: The more money lost [...] means a bigger ‘rake-off’ for herself.
1956		H. Whittington Forgive Me, Killer (2000) 100: You get your rake-off. What’s your beef?
1963		L.F. Freed Crime in S. Afr. 77: [...] European caretakers who took a rake-off in return [i.e. for ignoring a crime].
1966		J. Holledge Great Aust. Gamble 100: He supervises the side-betting and collects a ‘rake-off’ from all winners at the game.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 65: If I get a rake off from the bleacher seats.
1978		R. Caron Go-Boy! 35: Money came [...] through a guard for a 20 per cent rake-off.
1980		M. Thelwell Harder They Come 246: Everyone knew the police always [...] took a little rakeoff from rackets!
2004		R.G. Barrett Rosa Marie’s Baby (2013) [ebook] His substantial rake-off from the card games.

2. a profit.

1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 6 May 2/3: The doctors made a big rake out of the death of Garfield. Nearly a hundred thousand dollars has been divided up between four of them .
1901		‘Hugh McHugh’ Down the Line 18: I had a nervous chill for fear she’d declare herself in on the rake-off.
1910		‘O. Henry’ ‘The Unknown Quantity’ in Strictly Business (1915) 110: Mr. Kinsolving quit the game with $2,000,000 prof – er – rake-off.
1919		C.S. Montanye ‘Hoodwinked’ in Detective Story 30 Apr. 🌐 How about it, do you wanna take the job of watchin’ Spug while I do the trick, for a quarter of the rake-off.
1928		Phila. Eve. Bulletin 5 Oct. 40/4: Here are a few more terms and definitions from the ‘Racket’ vocabulary: [...] ‘rake-off,’ an illicit share of profits.
1937		C. Drew ‘Growler’ in Bulletin 30 June 6/2: I’d sugared Growler up by promisin’ him a generous chop of the rake-off .
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1953		K. Tennant Joyful Condemned 191: Now I’m just a mug hack lousing the city, but even I get to estimate the rake-off on such joints.